Athletic garment



v'Maly 4,1926. 1,583,074

D. LEVINSON VI'A'IILII'I'IC GRIIENT Filed Jan. 1v, 192s gshee-shegt 1 zo l d# #517 "w m nl, Z9 g f1 SWMW May 4,1926.

D. 'I EvlNscN ATHLETIC GARIIENT 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 19:23

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Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,583,074 PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID LEVINSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILSON-WESTERN SPORTING ,V

GOODS CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ATHLETIC GARMENT.

Application led January 17, 1923i. Serial No. 613,102.

To all LU/wm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, DAviD LEvrNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the countyT of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new andA useful Improvement in Athletic Garments, of which the following is a full, clear, conoise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. A The invention relates to athletic garments and, particularly to means whereby certain relatively full portions of an athletic garment, such as foot-ball pants, may be arranged and held so that the full leg portions of the garment, when worn by a player, can not be readily-grasped by an opponent to thereby interfere with and impede the actions of the player.

The invention has as its prime object the provision of a leg band which may be closely itted relatively to the leg of a person, so y that it will encircle the leg and, in addition, will permit the relatively full leg portions of the pants to be folded. and" arranged under the band so that the fullness will be inaccessible to an opponent and will not provide a means which Vmay be grasped and held by him. f

It is a lfurther object of the invention to provide a leg band capable of performing the above named function, which is flexible and elastic and will yield and accommodate itself to the various movements `of the leg during movement of the player and, in addition, which will permit of its adjustment so that it may be closely fitted .to the leg with various degrees of tightness and snugness.

It is a further obiect of the inventionto provide the leg band with means whereby it may be secured to the garment with which it is to be used, whici` means may be by lacing or otherwise fastening it thereto.

It isan additional object ofthe invention to provide a means whereby the leg band may be secured to the garment so that it will be held in associated relation with the gar'- ment when not performing the function vof holding the excess material of the garment in the manner above explained.

The invention willbe explained and 'iiifore readily lunderstood ,when read in conjunctionpwith the accompanying drawings which illustrate various arrangements ofwhich the invention is susceptible, and it will be obvious that further changes and modifications may be made without departing lfrom-the spirit of the appended claim forminga part hereof.

In the drawings.v

. l Figure l is a, perspective view showing one form of the invention applied to foot-ball pants;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the leg band shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-,3 of Figure 2; y

Figure 4 is a sectionalgview taken on line .ll- 4 of Figure 1, except that the lacing is shown differently lfrom thel lacing in Figure l;

.Figure 5 is an elevation of a fragmentary portion of the parts shown in Figure l, illustrating one of tl'fe means employed for 'securing the device to the pants;

vention is not limited in its use to foot-ball pants as it may be employed in connection with other forms of garments. The foot-ball pants, illustrated in th drawings and generally designated 10, are provided with thethigh portions 1l and l2 and kneeportionsl and la. The foot-ball pants illustrated are constructed with a plurality of stays or thigh guards l5, arranged parallel to each other, and secured to the thigh portions in the front of the garment.

lThe stays, as shown, are covered and held in position by any suitable material vand are .used as a protection for the thighs.`

vThe leg portions offoot-ball pants are usually more or less full, and, therefore, provide portions which may` be readily grasped and held by an lopposing player in 'order to'hold, hinder, and stop the layer in .hisprogr'essduringthe playing of t 1e game,

lili In the forni illustrated, because ofthe einployinent of the thigh guards 15, the fullness Will generally be in back of the leg portions ofthe `garment (see Figure As hereinbefore stated, it is an object of thel invention to provide a means ivhereby this fullness of the pants leg may be rendered inaccessible to the opposing player and the legs of the pants be made so smooth and ktaut by means of the invention that there will be no Iportion of the pants leg which may -be elfectivelygrasped or held by the opposingplayer.

'As shown in Figure 1, leg bands 16, 17, 18, and 19, of suitable shapes, are employed in conjunction with the pants legs, leg bands 16 and 17 being employed on the thigh portions, .and leg bands land 19 being eniployed on the knee portions. rlhe leg bands are made of any suitable flexible and elastic material, the object being to provide the necessary elasticity and to permit the required freedom of movement of the legs which are encircled and also to pernnt-the various adjustments of the leg bands Which may be required by the player.

The construction of one leg band being substantially 'identical With that of the others, an explanation ofthe construction and application of the one Will su'tlice for an understanding of all.

The leg band illustrated in Figures l to l, both inclusive, is provided with a transversely arranged, reinforcing strip, 2() ywhich is placed intermediate the ends of the leg band. The reinforcing strip 20 is provided vvith a- `plurality of reinforced eyelets 21, in parallel arrangement. rl`he eyelets are arranged in this strip s0 that, 'when the leg band is placed in the desired position/at the vthi-gh portion, or the linee portion, of the pants leg, the reinforced eyelets, vill be used in securing thelegrba-ndfto the leg portion of the garment. ln order-to enable the legfband to lie-,attached to and held in k place -on the pants leg, the pants leg is'constructed `niththc sets of reinforced eyelets i22- and 23,

as shown in detail .in Figure. The upper l.set ofeyeletsQQ-is adapted for the position- :ing of the Vleg l:band to I.encircle the thigh portion of'tliegarment, and the lovver'set of eyelets ,23 is adaptedtobe usedinlpositioning theleg band which may be `used 'to enycircleuthe kneep'ortion of the garment. v,The sets .iofseyelets 22 andQS are placed-:1n zpar- .allel rows and are, preferably, made in the outersideszof the leg portions of the garment adjzacenttheouter'seams and they-are placed substantially parallel lwith thef seams.

TWhen l,the Veyelets '21 lof ythe legi-band are positioned adjacent fthe thigh portion .of the Y garmentthe .bandinay 'be Alaced .to the Vgar- ,.ment by the fleeing 2l, which is threaded :through lthe eyelets 21 iin .the leg band .and .the eyelets .of :the thigh portion ci the lacing 'tien foi; rthe garment-will lise held :tightly j garment, thereby providing Aa Vmeans for securing the leg band to the outer, thigh portion of the leg of the garment. llllli'en itis desiredto place a leg bandonfthe knee portion nof the garment, the yeyelets 21 of the leg band are positioned adjacent the knee portion of the garment, and the leg band may be laced thereto by the aid of the lacing 25, vwhich is threaded through the eyelets 21 in the leg band and the eyelets provided in the linee portion of the garment, thereby providing a means for securing the leg band to the outer side of the lince portion of the garment. lt `will be apparent that the log bancs may be main- "ained and held =in position in the sets of eyelets 22 and 23, so that the leg` bands Will not become unfastencd or displaced during use by the player ,in the gaine. lt will also he apparent that `the leg bands are held and maintained against displacement while the opposite ends of the bands are being secured together on the legs or While th'ey'are being adjusted. lllhen the foot-'ball pants are not in usethe leg bands may beheld to thein'by the lacings'l and 2l and thus the bands will not become lost or misplaced and are ready for use when desired. t Will also be obvious that, according to the choice ofthe player, one or more of the leg-bands may be removed from the garment.

The end of the leg band 26 is provided with a strip 2l' which reinforces the end of the band. Thestrip 2l' is `snpi'ilied with applurality of reinforced eyelets 28 arranged in parallel relation. The opposite end of the legband 29 is supplied with aplnrality of strips 30, 31, and 32 secured to the band and which serve to reinforce and strengthen it. Alphnality of reinforced -eyelets 33, 3l and 35' which are arranged in parallel relation to each other, are disposed in each of the reinforcingstrips 30, 31, and 3;. The eyelets 28 inthe reinforcing strip gland the eyelets 33, 34;, and in the reinforcingstrips 30, 31, and 32 arerin substantial horizontal alignment With leach other, and, therefore, when the leg band is `.viapped around the leg of the wearer (the loose portion'slof'material of the garment `having been lirst v,folded Vand `arranged'to suit the wearer, as `indicated at a, k10, and in Figure l) and the set or one ron" of Vthe eyelets 2S are brought into register .ith one set, lor Iroiv, .ofthe eyelets 33, Bl, or '35 in the :opposite end of the leg band, a lacing 36 may be `threaded through the .set .orroiv .of 'eyelets 28 and the set, or row, of eyelets chosen from ainong the .three sets of eyelets at the opposite end of the leg band, and thereby secure the ends of :the leg band together.

vWhen the ends ,of theleg :band have 5been drawn'.togetherptightly and secured with the.

f3.6,v'all loose finaterial of the Aleg :por-I lll() against the of the wearer and render this material inaccessible to the grasp of an opponent. The leg band, being drawn tightly against the leg of the wear-er, will present a smooth and even surface without wrinkles and without excess material of any sort which may be held by the opposing player.

It is manifest that the plurality of sets of eyelets provided in the end Q9 of the leg band will permit the opposite end of the leg band to be positioned witlrrelation to each of these sets `of eyelets or each of the individual rows of eyelets, so that a variation in adjustment may be secured. It is also evi` dent that, due to the flexibility and elasticity of the leg band, the degree of tightness desired by the wearer may be gained by adj usting the set or rows of eyelets 28 relatively to the sets or rows of eyelets 33, 34, and in the opposite end of the leg band. In

VFigures l and 4 two methods of treading the lacing 36 have been, respectively, shown. In Figure l it will be seen that the lacing 36 passes through the outer, single, transverse row of eyelets 28 and the inner, double, transverse rows of eyelets 35 of the leg band. In the ligure the reinforced portion 27 is shown overlapping the reinforced portion 32, and only one of the rows of eyelets 35 in which the lace is threaded is exposed. In Figure 4 it will be seen that the lacing 36 passes through the outer, double, transverse rows of eyelets 28 and the inner, double, transverse rows of eyelets 85 of the leg band.

In the modified arrangement illustrated in Figure 6 another form of structure for securing the legs of the garment and the leg band is illustrated. In this structure the opposite ends of the leg band are, respectivel", provided with a stud and socket arrangement which provides fastening means,

l such as is ordinarily referred to as a glove fastener. When the structure, as shown in Figure 6 is employed, the studs 37 are arranged in parallel rows at one end of the leg band in a manner similar to the eyelets 33, 34, and 35 and are mounted in a plurality of reinforcing strips 38. The opposite end of the leg band is provided with a reinforcing strip 39, to which the socket-s 40 are secured. It will be understood that the leg band will be provided with eyelets intermediate its ends so that the leg band may be laced to the outer sides lof the garment, as illustrated in Figure l.

Another arrangement which may be used is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. In this structure there is shown the straps 41 and 42 which may be employed to hold the leg bands in position on the leg portion of the garment. Then the straps 41 and 42 are used it would not be necessary to use the sets of eyelets 22 and 23 in the pants leg, as shown in Figure 5. Then this form of securing means is utilized it is not necessary to use a leg band embodying the rows of eyelets intermediate the ends of the leg band, such as the eyelets 2l. When this form of structure .is used each pants leg will be provided with a pair of the straps 4l and 42. The straps will be, respectively, arranged at the outer faces of the pants legs at the thigh and knee portions. One ofthe ends of the leg band will be passed through the loop formed by the strap and the opposite ends of the leg band will be secured together in a manner similar to that explained with reference to the construction illustrated in Figures l to 4, both inclusive, or as illus-V trated in Figure 6. Thusthe leg band will be held in its proper position with respect to for the purpose and in the manner hereinbei fore mentioned. A

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An elastic band adapted to be secured to a garment and encircle the limb of a person, said band being arranged outside of the garment, said band having a reinforcing strip and parallel rows of eyelets in said strip to receive a lacing whereby the bandmay be laced to the garment, said reinforcing strip being disposed transversely of said band'substantially midway of the ends of said band, a series of parallel rows of eyelets at one end of the band, and a plurality of series of parallel rows of eyelets at the opposite end of the band, all of the rows of eyelets being arranged transversely of the band, the eyelets in the ends of the band permitting variations of adjustment of said band.

In witness whereof, I hereuntosubscribe my name this 1l day of January, A. D., 1923.

DAVID LEVINSGN. 

